Hunt for top dog Aug. 23 at Worcester Hot Dog Safari

WORCESTER — Tom and Sean Mahoney looked forward to the first day of school all summer long when they were kids.

This was not because of school itself, but instead because late each August throughout their childhood, as a last hurrah, their father took them on a trip. A safari of sorts.

It was a hot dog safari where they would chow down at various Worcester hot-dog establishments and vote on a favorite, and each year more and more friends joined in. Even after a long hiatus, during which the boys grew into men and became sucked up into the world of late-summer sports camps and college, the tradition is alive and well.

Tom Mahoney, along with a bunch of his friends and his brother's friends, resurrected the safari in 2012 and has now turned the event into a benefit for the Worcester County Food Bank.

This year's Worcester Hot Dog Safari takes place Aug. 23, and the Mahoney brothers invite the public to join in to support a great cause while settling a long-standing score regarding which Worcester-area eatery boasts the best hot dogs.

According to Tom Mahoney, this "fun" contest was prone to becoming rather contentious when they were young.

"When we were kids, it would be almost friendship ending," he laughed, explaining that kids often had a predilection for either Coney Island Hot Dogs or Hot Dog Annie's (the two front runners each year) and they would score their rival with straight zeros just to make a point. "You wouldn't talk to those kids for a few days at least."

But with a rating system and score card available at the starting place, which this year is The Dogfather Food Truck, participants will score their dogs on a scale of 1 to 10, asking for opinions on taste, presentation, toppings, service and value. They will also rate the quality of the dog and the bun, separately.

As a way of circumventing crazy crowds at each destination, many of which are still being unveiled and revealed via Facebook each day, hot-dog tasters have a listing of destinations and can tackle them in their own order and at their own pace. They are encouraged to order the same thing at each place for comparison's sake.

Sean Mahoney said some people eat only half a dog at each spot, others a bite and some an entire frankfurter at every stop. It all depends upon what your stomach can handle — and his advice is to drink lots of water to stay hydrated and fight the salty nitrates.

Participants are invited to meet up between 3 and 4 p.m. at Coney Island Hot Dogs, 158 Southbridge St., for the closing announcements, where the winner will be tallied and everyone can have a beverage and relax.

In order to give back to the community that has given the Mahoney family so many fun Safari experiences, Tom Mahoney said T-shirts will be for sale at the start of the event, with proceeds going directly to the food bank.

He will be accepting monetary donations as well and is hopeful that people will join in the spirit of the event and support those less fortunate.

"It's a great organization that does a lot for the community," he said. "And hunger is a very serious issue here in Central Massachusetts."

To participate, join the Mahoney family at noon Aug. 23 at The Dogfather Food Truck, 84 Holden St. To receive updates and other information, visit www.facebook.com/Worcesterhotdogsafari2014.